The Sparkly New Dress

“All right, so I like spending money! But name one other extravagance!”—Max Kauffmann

Elizabeth was “between jobs.” A beautiful girl with a great smile, she spoke of her dissatisfaction with her current job on the first day of the workshop. She longed for a better position with better pay. The next week, she came to class and laughingly told us how she had been fired. “I know I created that happening!” she exclaimed. “I was doing affirmations for a better job, but wasn’t sending any ships out to look for one. So I guess my higher self took charge and got me fired so I would have to get up off my duff and find what I really want.” We laughed and applauded, and helped her with suggestions about a new career.

After class, in which we had focused on creating Low, Medium, and High Budgets, Elizabeth approached me with a question. “I’m going to a friend’s wedding on Saturday, and I went shopping for a dress. I found this beautiful sparkly lavender dress that looked wonderful on me and I really want to have it. But I’m on Low Budget now, having just lost my job. And the dress costs $143. So you don’t think it would be a good idea for me to buy it, do you?”

I loved the way she asked me this question. Clearly, she understood that the reasonable answer was “No!” She really shouldn’t buy a dress—sparkly or otherwise—when she’s on Low Budget with no job and no income. I congratulated her on coming to me with the question, because we both knew she was looking for support to maintain her financial control. It might be fun for one day to wear a new dress and get lots of compliments, but it would all be over the next day. Then she’d be really depressed knowing that a bill for $143 would arrive any day—and she couldn’t pay it.

I suggested she go shopping in her closet: Look in the back of the closet for something great that she hadn’t worn in a while. Perhaps she could dress it up with a scarf or different jewelry or shoes. She could create a new outfit or two from existing items combined in new ways. Or perhaps she could trade dresses with a friend who wore the same size, and they’d both feel like they got something new. Her eyes gleamed with the challenge, and a brilliant smile radiated across her face.

“Elizabeth,” I said, “You don’t need a sparkly dress—you have sparkly eyes!” She told me she liked that compliment even better than the one she might have gotten on a new dress.

Today’s Affirmation: “Money and love are attracted to me. They flow to me from all directions in larger and larger amounts.” (Contributed by Mark Roevekamp)

I had my colors and styling done by Jennifer Butler, an amazing woman who has the talent to know what looks great on everyone. Yes, I already knew I was an “Autumn” with my red hair and green eyes, but did you know there are about 12 different kinds of Autumn? I happen to be a Metallic Autumn, which means I look good in shiny or sparkling golds, coppers, and bronzes. (Accounts for my love of gold tennis shoes, doesn’t it?)

Spending money on the right professional consultation can help you not only save money, but make a lot more money afterwards. I saved money because I knew which colors and patterns to avoid and I no longer wasted money on unflattering styles. I made more money because when you look good, you feel good, and you exude more confidence and charisma. That is what brings you more clients.

Too many times before I had been enamored of some colorful outfit that looked fabulous on the store mannequin but looked terrible on me. I remember one darling little dress in broad vertical navy and white stripes with a pleated skirt. I adored it in the store. Happily, I bought it and hung it in my closet…where it stayed hung for years. Because every time I put it on, well, I just didn’t look great in it. It looked so cute in the store – what was wrong? Jennifer pointed out the vertical stripes make one look wider, which is not good when you’re short. With small features, smaller prints work better than large bold ones. And neither navy nor white are appropriate colors for me – they make my skin look pasty instead of vibrant.

Jennifer got me with her round robin at a networking event. She said, “When you wear the right colors and style, people are unconsciously drawn to you without knowing why.” Well, I had to have that…don’t you?

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